A Bittern at Fishers Green

22nd October 2022

A Bittern has been showing well at the Discovery Centre at Fishers Green in the Lea Valley so time for a visit to see if it performs for us, but first a quick visit to Holyfield Hall Farm. As we walked up the path there was a mixed flock of some 150 Greylag and Canada Geese, all feeding on a newly sown winter crop. I bet the farmer is pleased about that.

Up by the farm 20 Egyptian Geese had taken over their favorite small paddock and were happy to pose for a few photos...................

......................and behind their paddock was the feral flock of Barnacle Geese, 19 Barnacles and a rather dodgy looking hybrid with yellow legs

Further up the track a pair of Stonechats were showing well but only the female sat still long enough for a few shots.

But the star of the show here was the male Yellowhammer which was enjoying the sun, framed by rose hips.

Now on to the Discovery Centre and time to settle down for a potentially long wait for the Bittern to appear. Luckily it had been seen earlier so we knew it was in there. First up was a Muntjac which had obviously taken a liking to the vegetation growing on the new Kingfisher bank and posed quite nicely in the sun.

Second up was a male Kingfisher which also took a liking to the new Kingfisher bank, this time to use it as a perch. Let's hope he and his mate still like it in the summer months and raise a brood or two, or even three as they do at Rye Meads.

But then the main act arrived and proceeded to cross the channels cut in the reeds a few times. In fact it made four appearances in a couple of hours, which is far better than normal, when sometimes you can sit there all day and not see a thing.

But the highlight was on its last appearance when it appeared with a Jack Pike. Unfortunately it walked up the channel with the Pike and was largely obscured when it swallowed the fish and then emerged to walk to the other side of the channel.

The Amwell Bittern is ringed on the left leg, so as can been seen from the second photo is not this bird.